Why should you have a professional profile picture?

Why you should have a professional take your profile shot and what are the benefits?

These days we are all our own brand. Whether it is for your business, your employer or on the dating scene, it’s important to get ahead of the rest and stand out. Having professional headshots can help get your foot through the right doors. Our face is often the first thing someone see’s when they look for you online or even in person. Just as we like to keep ourselves well presented in reality, there is a lot to be said for showing off your a-game online too.

Here I have included 6 pointers of why there is so much power in a professional headshot for your online presence.

• You only get one chance to make a first impression. These tiny images are often the first thing someone will look at before anything else. Whether it is on your Linkedin or your Instagram it’s important to look your best.

• Up against the world. Let’s face it, a large portion of the population are logging on these day. You need to stand out. Be creative, be colourful, show who you are.

• These images are always small and this can make it difficult to be seen. Your photographer will help make them stand out with added quality, sharpness, contrast and more. Often we overlook the quality of an image if we believe we look nice. Looking nice isn’t always enough these days.

• Having the correct exposure, high quality, sharpened and formatted for your exact platform is a must. Your photographer can do all of this so you don’t have to think about it. Saving you a lot of time!

• It shows you go the extra mile. There are a lot of selfies out there but, this isn’t always what your clients or perspective new job executives will be looking for. Having a professional take your images shows that you care about the details and are professional throughout.

• They are versatile. One shoot could give you a number of images to use on all platforms. Your photographer can reformat, change dimensions from square to circle, sharpen for different platforms and resize. Taking a lot of the hassle out of it for you. You can use them digitally, print them, use them as part of your branding, your website and more.

• Consistency. Of course it is you in every image, but if each are from the same shoot or at least the same photographer, then people will spot you if they recognise you from another platform. Having the same style shoot, to match your branding or simply to keep consistency high is a major key.